


Penance

by darktensh17



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Christianity, F/M, M/M, Magic, Period-Typical Homophobia, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-09-25 05:06:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9803759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darktensh17/pseuds/darktensh17
Summary: Luke is a young man in the town of Sacrament, where nothing ever happens. He spends his days doing chores, learning magic, and trying to come to terms with his sexuality. Every day brings the same thing, until one day it brings Wedge Antilles into town.Written as a companion type piece for Tenukii's wonderful story Sacrament.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tenukii](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenukii/gifts).



> Written for the wonderful Tenukii and set in the same world as [Sacrament](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8199676/chapters/18784699). Tenukii has been such a good friend and I know she loves her Wedge/Luke <3  
>  
> 
> The spell used in this chapter comes from [Magical Recipes Online](http://www.magicalrecipesonline.com/2012/04/how-to-make-protective-magical-amulet.html)
> 
> The author knows very little about witchcraft or wiccan practices. 
> 
> All spelling/grammar errors are my own.

Nothing ever happened in the town of Sacrament. It was a simple fact of life; day in and day out brought the same people doing the same thing. Life was boring and stagnant, especially for a young man yearning for adventure. 

Luke throws another pebble at the make shift target he’s made out of a stray bale of hay, hitting the crude target he’s drawn in the center dead on. Another day of nothing but chores and lessons, he was starting to go mad from boredom. At eighteen he should be out having some sort of life, not trapped here just so that he can help his father with the harvest every fall. 

Once the last rock is thrown he reaches forward and picks up a good sized branch and begins swinging it around, advancing on the hay bale to give it a few good whacks. “Take that fiend!”

“Luke! Luke where are you hiding?” His mother Padmé’s voice snaps Luke out of his daydreams and suddenly he’s not a daring mercenary or a knight gone to liberate towns and go off on adventures anymore. Once again he’s just Luke Skywalker. While his father may have been a great general in the war, Luke is nothing but a glorified farm boy. 

“Yes mother, I’m coming.” Turning away from his favourite spot on their lands, Luke hurries out of the small clearing that he considers his secret spot and hastens back toward the large house where he can see his mother waiting for him, hands on her hips.  
Padmé gives him a stern look as he runs up to her, leaves covering him practically from head to toe. “Honestly Luke, are you off playing at adventures again? It’s time for your lessons; your father and Leia are already inside waiting. If you were any slower the harvest would be ready.”

Luke grins sheepishly and ducks through the door behind her. “Sorry Mother!” Hurrying into the basement of their home, he slides into a seat beside his twin sister Leia at the lone table situated there. 

His father Anakin raises an eyebrow at him, clearly unimpressed at his tardiness. “You’re late.”

“I’m sorry Father, I got distracted and lost track of time.” He begins to try and pick some of the leaves out of his hair. 

Leia shakes her head at him, crossing her arms and giving him a stern look. “You spend too much time spent daydreaming, if you’re not careful you’ll float away into the clouds on of these days. Maybe then I’ll finally have some peace and quiet.” 

Luke sticks his tongue out at his sister who retaliates by stepping on his foot with her heeled shoe. “Ow! That’s dirty Leia!” 

“Now, now you two that is enough. If you’re going to fight at least do it in a useful manner.” When they both look up at him, Anakin offers them a knowing grin. “Settle this with a competition. Whoever learns this spell first wins and is exempt from tomorrow’s chores.” 

“Father! That’s unfair!” Leia’s hands slam onto the table as she stands. “Luke is stronger at magic than I am!” 

Anakin doesn’t bat an eye in the face of her anger; anger Luke knows that she gets from Anakin himself. “Luke may be better at the practical side of magic but you are cleverer and a quicker study and your focus is better.” 

Luke can’t help but scowl at the insinuation that Leia is smarter than he is, even if that’s not what his father may have meant. Instead he pulls himself up so that he’s sitting straight and glares over at his twin. “I’m going to beat you at this Leia and laugh while you spend the day doing all my extra chores.”

“You’re going to be crying when I show you just how wrong you are.” Leia hisses, sitting back down. “Teach us the spell Father so that I can make Luke regret his words.”

Smiling in triumph Anakin goes over the spell with them; it’s for an amulet of protection. The ingredients are simple enough and have already been gathered for them; a small black cotton bag, one small stone, a quill, sandalwood oil, a whole walnut, blackberry bark, powdered egg shell, 4 white candles and a bag of salt. Each step requires focus and communing with each of the items. 

“You must feel the stone’s firmness and connection with the earth; each stone has their own protective qualities” Anakin tells them as he watches them work. “When you have communed with the stone then you will draw a protective symbol on the stone. Through speaking to the stone and the shape of the spell you will draw the symbol that is the best fit for you. Meditate on what this is.” 

Both Luke and Leia are working hard trying to follow the instructions; while Leia has a harder time communing with the stone, Luke gets stuck on meditating on an appropriate symbol of protection. 

Anakin continues on despite their struggles. “You should feel the stone putting you within a protective circle, once you feel this then you will dress the stone with three drops of sandalwood oil and recite the following line; ‘Hard as stone my shield. I cast and it shall never fail me.’” 

Almost in sync Luke and Leia recite the incantation, their eyes closed as they both focus on their protection amulets. 

“Once you’re done you will put your stone in the bag and take the walnut; this too you will commune with to feel its magical energies of protection. Envision a shield and recite, ‘My walnut protects I feel no threats.’ Repeat this with the blackberry bark; imagine the bush of the plant surrounding you and keeping you safe from outside harm. ‘My space is protected, blackberry aids me.’” 

“My space is protected, blackberry aids me.” Luke recites, hearing Leia repeat the words moments later. Good it looks like he’s winning. Feeling his impending victory Luke slips the blackberry bark into the bag and reaches for the egg shell powder.

Anakin pauses in his explanation to check over both of their work. “Very good so far; both of you.” The words are deliberate, baiting them both to try harder. “Now the egg shell powder represents the shell of the egg, it is a wall that surrounds you and protect you; imagine that and say, ‘My barrier is whole; eggshell make it last long.” 

“Once your egg shell powder is in the bag close it and tie it with three knots, you know the ones and say the following.” Anakin’s voice goes low as he begins to recite the incantation.

“Powers of High listen to my plea, a shield I form blessed by thee.  
No foe, no harm can pass! I pray to thee, make it forever be!  
This sacred night my shield is formed I am protected! Threats be gone!”

“You will then put your candles in circular order; Easter, South, North, and West and place the bag in the center. Then make a circle around the salt around the candles, the thicker the circle the better. As you light your candles say the final incantation, ‘I walk in the circles of light!’ Then you will wait on the candles burning to their ends and those will be buried. Keep your salt in another bag, it may be used again for this and other spells.”

Luke recites the spell and tries to feel the protections on the bag as he waits for the candles to burn down to their nubs. He can feel Leia practically vibrating anxiously next to him as she waits on her own candles. It’s seems that they’ve both succeeded so far, their father may have to determine the winner by the strength of the charm. 

Finally the candles burn out and Anakin comes forward, waving his hands over each bag and gauging both of their levels of success of the spell. Finally he drops his hands and nods, bride blooming on his face. “You both did extremely well; these are powerful protection charms indeed. Unfortunately for you Luke, it seems that this is one time your sister has beaten you; her charm is more focused and thus stronger.”

“No! You can’t be serious Father!” Luke cries, even as Leia lets out a whoop of victory. “But I’m stronger at magic!”

Anakin shakes his head and gestures to Leia’s amulet. “It seems your sister was more determined for the protection to work.”

Leia settles down and picks up her bag. “It’s not for me it’s,” She looks away blushing and holding the bag to her chest. “It’s for Han, he and Chewie going out of town on a merchant run and it’s so dangerous out there. . .” 

Both Luke and Anakin share a look of distaste at the mention of the scoundrel Leia has fallen in love with. He’s not much older than Leia but he lives a life toeing the line of the law and if not for the goods that he ferries in and out of town for a certain price it is likely he would have been arrested some time ago.

More than likely it’s the influence of his best friend Chewy’s wife Maz, the local innkeeper that really keeps both himself and Chewy out of jail. 

The only person in the family other than Leia who seems to approve of him is Padmé and neither Anakin nor Luke can figure out why. 

Luke grumbles under his breath, hating the thought that there is a possibility that Han may actually marry Leia in the near future, particularly if Padmé has her way. “That is a waste of a perfectly good amulet then, no amount of protection is going to keep that trouble maker safe from harm.” 

“Don’t be so jealous Luke; I’m sure you’ll find a nice girl to settle down happily with.” Leia’s words aren’t unkind but Luke feels them like a blow to the heat because he knows that he will never have that for Luke knows that he has no interest in marrying any girl and never has. His heart leans toward the sin of loving other men and he knows that he can never be happy because of that. Part of the reason he’s so angry about Leia and Han is that he himself fancied Han for the longest time. 

Luke holds back a sigh and forces a smile. “Right, someday I’ll meet the perfect girl and go off and have lots of babies. . . .it’ll all be just perfect.” 

The comment earns him an odd look from Leia, but then Padmé is calling down to tell Leia that Han has come calling for her and it draws her attention away. “Coming Mother!” Grabbing her amulet, Leia tidies up her skirt and is gone, leaving Luke sitting at the table staring at him own amulet and Anakin standing by watching him.

“Luke. . .” Anakin’s voice is full of sorrow as he goes over and pulls up Leia’s vacated seat. “Is there something you would like to tell me?”

As much as he wants to say no, Luke knows that his father is already aware that something is wrong, that Luke is different and not just because he inherited Anakin’s magic. “I. . . I can’t, it’s a sin to even speak of it.” 

One of Anakin’s hands comes to rest on Luke’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. “You can tell me son, it’s not like I’m one to judge about what’s a sin or not; after all I’m a witch and I’m teaching my children to be witches too.” 

Luke can’t really deny the truth of his father’s words. “It’s. . .” Luke swallows nervously, unconsciously reaching for his amulet and holding it close. “I don’t. . . I don’t like girls father, I haven’t ever I don’t think. I much prefer the company of other men.” 

There’s silence from Anakin and Luke can’t gather the energy to look up into his Father’s face, he just knows that there will be a look of disgust there. What father wants to hear that their son is a sodomite? 

“Son,” Anakin’s hand reaches up to tilt Luke’s head upward so that their eyes meet. “There are many sins in the world, ones that are written not just in the Bible but by the very essence of the Earth. Finding someone you love, no mater if they’re a an or a woman is not one of them. Finding love is never wrong.” 

“But the Church. . .” Luke protests, the thought of his soul being sent to damnation. 

Anakin scoffs, distaste painted across his features. “The Church is not always right Luke; more often than not they choose which laws presented within the Bible they wish to follow. They prefer to ignore the word of Christ in order to spread hate and fear against any they do not consider normal.”

The words are likely meant as comfort but they hurt more than help. “I am doubly damned then; both as a witch and a sodomite.” 

“Luke. . .” 

He doesn’t stay around to hear what Anakin has to say, running instead up to his room and slamming the door shut behind him. He doesn’t come back out and refuses to see anyone until his mother comes in and sits next to him on his bed.

“Oh my darling,” Her small hands begin to pet his hair, just like she used to when he was a small child and was upset or sick. “I spoke with your father and I’m in agreement with him, your preference in partners doesn’t make you a sinner and it doesn’t change how we see or feel about you. You’re our son Luke and we’re always going to love you no matter what.” 

Unbidden tears come to his eyes and Luke doesn’t even try to fight them as he turns to his mother and hugs her tightly around the waits, pretending for a moment that she can shelter him from the evils of the world. 

“It’s alright my darling.” Padmé’s voice is soft and her touch comforting as she begins to sing.

_Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,_  
_Smiles await you when you rise._

_Sleep, pretty loved one, do not cry,_  
_And I will sing a lullaby,_  
_Lullaby, lullaby, lullaby._

_Cares you know not, go to sleep,_  
_Mother here safe watch will keep_

_Sleep, pretty loved one, do not cry,_  
_And I will sing a lullaby,_  
_Lullaby, lullaby, lullaby._

Slowly Luke’s body grows heavy as he feels himself losing the battle against sleep, the day has been so emotional and between that and his mother’s singing, Luke never had a chance. 

-

The next day things are as normal as usual, with the exception of having an extra set of chores to do. He can’t help but scowl bitterly when he sees Leia walking outside on Han’s arm, laughing at some joke that he likely made. It’s disgusting, and not in the least bit because Luke has always help a certain level of affection for Han as well. 

Sighing mournfully to himself he turns his attention back toward the laundry that he just collected and begins to drag it outside to the washbasins. It’s then that he hears a commotion, several of the townspeople are shouting, and when he turns around to see what is going on he can just make out a figure on horseback ridding into town. Even from here he can see the blood staining the man’s clothes. 

Dropping the laundry he hurries over to join the rest of the townsfolk as they gather around the stranger when his horse stops just inside the gate’s to the town. For the briefest moment Luke meets the stranger’s dark eyes and the world seems to come to a stop. 

The moment is broken when the stranger’s eyes roll up in his head and he begins sliding off his horse, saved only by Chewie’s large arms coming up to catch him.

Chaos erupts as people cry out in alarm and scramble to figure out what is going on. At one point Maz steps in to take over and orders her husband take the stranger to the inn all the while calling for the village doctor. 

It’s true that nothing ever happens in Sacrament at least not until the day that Wedge Antilles came to town broken and bloody, and turned Luke Skywalker’s world upside down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this out a little faster but I am a slow writer v.v Hopefully the week goes better for you and this cheers you up a little!

“What do you think happened to him?” Leia asks as she steps up to join Luke, Han apparently having run off with Chewie and Maz to the inn. She’s slightly pale and she grabs at Luke’s hand when she steps next to him. “I’ve never seen anyone hurt like that and. . .”

Even if it were safe for her to finish what she was going to say she wouldn’t need to, Luke knows what she’s talking about. There had been the smell of magic in the air.

Luke gives Leia’s hand a squeeze to let her know that he sensed it too. If this was done by magic, then there is the possibility that somewhere possibly nearby there are witches who are willing to hurt people. Neither Luke nor Leia have ever met any witches other than their father and Uncle Kenobi when his travels bring him around. That there may be dark witches close by. . .the thought has both of them clinging tighter to each other in comfort.

“Luke! Leia!” Their mother’s voice shakes them out of their thoughts and draws their attention to her. “Come inside. Luke you’ve chores to finish and Leia I could use your help getting dinner ready.” While Padmé’s expression is calm there’s a slight tremble in her voice that denotes either worry or fear. “Hurry now, it looks like it may rain.”

The two of them exchange a look and without any arguing make their way home, Luke picking up the laundry he’d dropped on the ground and with great resignation heading back over to the wash basin to clean the now dirty items once again.

It doesn’t end up raining and despite his burning curiosity about the injured man; Luke still has to attend to all of his chores. Some of them he has to redo more than once due to his thoughts being elsewhere. Luckily Padmé and Leia are both busy making bread and rolls in the kitchen so no one is there to admonish Luke for his mistakes.

By the time the sun sets things are back to normal in town, with everyone going about their business and heading home for the evening. There is still the occasional whisper of what transpired but no one but the village elder, Maz Kanata, her husband Chewie and the village doctor have seen the man since he collapsed at the town’s entrance. Even the man’s horse has been hidden away at the inn.

Some of the rumours flying around about who the mysterious guest is ranges from a merchant robbed to, what seems to be more likely, that he had been attacked by witches. The thought of witches being responsible is worrying; Anakin has warned both Luke and Leia what would happen if the village ever caught on to what they were; the threat of evil witches could cause the town to become even more paranoid and dangerous.

The only place that is free of discussion about the stranger is at home; Padmé refuses to let the subject interrupt their quiet dinner, of course that doesn’t actually keep the subject from coming up.

“Father’s not coming to join us for dinner tonight?” Leia asks as she dishes peas out on to her plate before handing the bowl over to Luke and then reaching for a slice of from the fresh loaf that she and Padmé had made earlier in the day.

Padmé gives a shake of her head and sighs. “Goodie Maz has requested his aid at the inn with her special guest, it seems he’s woken up.” Before Luke can open his mouth she shoots him a stern glance. “That is all I know and there will be no more discussion about it. And you will not pester your father when he comes home, he’ll be tired and want to go to bed after eating. You will allow him to do so in peace.”

“Yes Mother,” Luke turns his attention back to his food, poking at it with no real interest as Padmé and Leia change the topic of the conversation to Leia’s day with Han. Hearing his sister moon about Han just makes his mood worse and it’s not long before Luke is excusing himself from the table claiming an upset stomach before heading up to his room.

Lying on his bed Luke tries not to sulk but it’s so unfair! The most interesting thing to ever happen during his entire life and he can’t even talk about it! Huffing he curls up on his side and tries not to think of the stranger’s face, even with the blood that had been caked on it Luke can’t help but think that the man was quite handsome. He’s never seen anyone like him before and despite any attempts otherwise, Luke can’t help but try and imagine what he would be like to talk to and to get to know. Perhaps even to kiss.

Guilt gnaws at his gut at the thought but he can’t seem to push it away as his imagination begins to run wild into other more forbidden thoughts. He feels himself stiffen in his slacks and wills himself to stop thinking about this, it is wrong to think about someone injured like this, especially another man.

It doesn’t work and yet somehow somewhere between the arousal and the guilt he manages to fall asleep.

-

The black castle is not an unfamiliar place for Luke to find himself in his dreams, although it has been sometimes since he has graced one of the chilled rooms of the palace with his presence. Not since the day before Leia took a bad fall off a tree two summers ago has Luke been here.

Father has told Luke that the castle is a place that he needn’t be afraid of, but Luke has always found it foreboding. There’s a sense of something always lurking around every corner waiting for him to slip up and come out of whichever room he has found himself in. Whatever it is Luke is certain that he does not which to meet it least something horrible befall him.

Added to that Luke only ever seems to dream about being in the castle when something bad is about to happen. The dream he’d had before Leia’s fall had found him at the very top of one of the castle’s towers, the ground far bellow him and a sense that there was something outside of the door’s room waiting to push him if it got inside. Leia had fallen from the tree due to a particularly strong gust of wind and a weak branch that she had tried to grab on to when the wind had pushed at her.

Tonight he it feels as though his chest is constricting painfully and it’s like the walls are closing in on him. The sensation is suffocating and Luke claws desperately at his shirt to try and rid himself of the sensation. He wonders if he can suffocate and die in his dreams, and if so will he ever wake up again?

It is just as his vision is going grey around the edges that a voice breaks through the darkness and shatters the spell over him. “Are you well?”

Lungs burning, Luke gasps great breaths of air as he looks up into the worried brown eyes of the man who had collapsed in town earlier today. Even though he’d only seen the man’s face for a few moments, Luke knows that it’s him without a doubt and his heart clenches at how beautiful he is.

His round face is framed by dark hair that looks silky to the touch. Not a trace of the blood from earlier on his face or dripping into his large brown eyes. Luke thinks that he could stare into those eyes forever if he were given the chance.

“Sir? Do you require aid?” The man speaks again, pulling Luke’s attention from his eyes down to his lips briefly before he realizes that he’s being spoken to.

Pushing himself up Luke nods quickly, “Y-yes, just a coughing spell.” The wording makes him wince but the man seems more amused than anything by it.

The other man looks relieved as he reaches forward to clap Luke on the shoulder. “I’m glad; I don’t like to see anyone hurt even strangers who appear in my dreams.” He bites his lip and gives Luke a once over. “You’re a very handsome stranger though; my unconscious mind has never conjured up someone as lovely as you before.”

Luke is stunned and he isn’t sure if it’s because the other man is lucid dreaming along with Luke or because of the compliment.

Once again the man’s voice brings Luke’s mind out of his thoughts. “What should I call the man of my dreams? I’m Wedge.” As he says this he reaches up to tuck a strand of Luke’s blond hair behind his ear.

 _The man of his dreams!_ Luke feels like fainting, never in his dreams, except for apparently in his dreams, has he ever thought anything like this could happen to him. “L-Luke, I’m Luke.”

Wedge smiles brightly at that and offers a hand to Luke. “Well met Luke. Perhaps you would like to get to know each other better? Hopefully I’ll dream of you every night from now on and I would enjoy learning more about you.”

Luke is about to answer when the dream around him suddenly begins to fade and the last thing he sees is Wedge’s stricken face as Luke disappears from the dream.

 

“Luke.” Someone was shaking his shoulder and calling his name. Moaning Luke jerks and pushes at the person not wishing to wake up from his dream, only to receive a hard rap of knuckles on his head.

“Ow!” He’s definitely awake now, sitting up he looks blearily at the figure of his mother standing over his bed.

Padmé puts her hands on her hips looking unamused; she’s in her sleep clothes and looks as though she hasn’t been awake for very long. “That’s what you get for trying to shoo your mother away!”

Frowning Luke sits up wondering what is going on. There’s a single candle sitting on the desk in his room and a glance at the window reveals that it is still night. “What’s going on Mother?”

“Your father sent a message with Master Han with a request for some of his supplies to be brought to the inn. It appears the young man who came into the village is not doing well, he has a high fever.” Luke has a feeling that there’s more to it than that, but Anakin wouldn’t put that in a message someone else was delivering. “I have informed Master Han that I will have you deliver the supplies once they have been gathered and sent him on his way. You must hurry”

“Yes, Mother.” Luke pushes himself out of bed quickly and hurries to dress after his mother has left the room.

He already knows what spell components and herbs his father will need; willow, meadowsweet, black haw, cramp bark, and birch to help fight pain and infection. With the man's wounds Luke knows they will prove useful. If it's true that witches are involved then Anakin will likely require the components needed for an uncrossing spell, and so when he goes into the cellar he makes sure to grab rue, hyssop, salt, sage and frankincense.

Before he leaves the house he grabs his father's worn copy of the Holy Bible, even though Anakin likely knows every verse that lay within it, something tells him he will need it.

Just before he leaves the house he spots his mother standing by the darkened hearth with only a single small candle to light her way. Even in the weak light he can tell that she’s pale and can see the worry on her face. "Mother. . ."

Padmé looks up and offers him a tight smile, reaching up to pull him into a hug. "Don't worry Luke, when I married your father these were the sorts of things I knew to expect. Just be careful and don't speak to anyone on your way to the inn, if they do ask tell them that you’re checking on your father.”

Many people had seen that Anakin was part of the group that had gone to the inn; very few would think it odd that he hadn’t yet returned home. Given that no one knew the status of the stranger Luke wouldn’t be arousing any suspicion with the comment as it would be in part the truth. Given that Luke is a notoriously bad liar, this is very important.

"I'll be careful Mother." Luke presses a kiss to her cheek before hurrying out into the night; luckily no one is out at this hour to question where he is going. It is very rare for the people of Sacrament to leave their homes after sundown unless there completely necessary.

As he hurries toward the inn, Luke can't help but reflect on his dream, wondering if Wedge had been truly there as well, seeing Luke just as Luke saw him. In his heart of hearts Luke knows what he wishes the answer to be, his mind recalling the compliments Wedge had given with such ease.

_My unconscious mind has never conjured up someone as lovely as you before._

Recalling the words brings a flush to Luke's cheeks but he tells himself not to hope for too much, this is not anything more than wishful thinking on his part. Even if Wedge had been lucid dreaming, there is little likelihood that he will recall Luke or the dream when he wakes, especially not if he is in the grips of fever.

Ignoring the hurt that grips his chest at the thought, Luke pushes on toward the inn and knocks on the door when he reaches it. No one leaves their doors unlocked in Sacrament, it's not seen as safe to, not with how paranoid people are.

Maz answers the door and ushers Luke inside with much urgency. "It's good you are here child, your father is upstairs waiting for you in the room at the far end of the hall on the second floor. Everyone else has left."

The words make Luke wonder, not for the first time, if Maz knows about the magic that runs within the Skywalker blood, she has made many comments in the past that allude to her knowledge of their practicing of witchcraft and yet has never done anything to put them in danger.

There's no time to dwell on that thought though, not at this time, and Luke thanks her before making his way up the stairs and to the room Maz has indicated to him. He finds his father there sitting on a lone chair in prayer over the sleeping figure of Wedge.

Luke takes a moment to look the man over, noting that despite the bandages he looks exactly like he had in Luke's dreams. It makes Luke want to reach out and run his hand over Wedge's flushed cheek to soothe away his hurts.

Anakin stands and takes the pouch of ingredients from Luke's hands. "We need to act quickly, the curse that has been cast upon him is stronger than any I have seen in years and if we allow it to continue it may take his life. I want you to prepare the components for the herbal tea while I set up the incense to dispel the curse. If we can break it, he will need the drink to help his body heal and fight off infection from his wounds."

Without a word Luke sets to work preparing everything for the tea and even running down to fetch some hot water from Maz, who already has a pot ready for him to take back up. By the time he returns his father already has the incense burning and the scent of herbs saturates the room in a comforting blanket.

Gesturing to the bible that look set on the table when he went to fetch the water, Anakin walks toward the bed to stand over Wedge. "Open the bible to the thirty-seventh Psalm Luke; I will need you to recite it with me."

Dutifully Luke does as he's told, finding the correct page and waiting for his father's cue to begin reading aloud.

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity." Anaking says in a clear strong voice, "For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Luke can feel the magic in the air in a way that he never has before. There are two foces at work; the lightness of their magic and something dark and sinister that clings to Wedge and refuses to release him.

The curse pushes back, and it feels like it's trying to suffocate them, Luke's words falter briefly but he pushes on needing to see Wedge free of this dark magic. He draws strength from that thought and his father as he forces himself to continue. "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass."

With a popping sound the darkness dissipates as the curse is broken. Falling forward over the opened bible, Luke tries to regains his breath and offers a prayer of thanks for their success while Anakin checks Wedge over.

“Good, very good.” Whether Anakin is speaking to Luke or the unconscious Wedge, Luke doesn’t know. “There are no vestiges of the curse remaining. So long as has the will his wounds will heal and he will make a full recovery.” Anakin presses a hand to Wedges forehead to check his temperature and frowns. “His fever is still high. Luke I want you to try and wake him and get some tea in him, I am going to fetch fresh water from the well.” Before Luke can even wonder why Anakin is the one going to fetch the water, his father has already left the room.

Nervous at being left alone with Wedge, Luke brings the tea over and carefully sits Wedge up, shaking him slightly to try and rouse him. When it doesn’t work Luke tries the name that was given to him in his dreams. “W-Wedge you need to wake up and drink some of this.”

Wedge’s eyelids flutter at the sound of his name; slowly his eyes open to reveal the beautiful rich brown that Luke remembers from his dream. Those eyes focus on Luke and widen. “Oh.” The word come out weak and raspy but the sound of them brings a sense of anticipation. “It’s you Luke. . . you’re real.”

Luke can’t tear his gaze away from Wedge’s as the other man reaches up to touch his face with a shaking hand. “You’re so much more beautiful than my dreams.”


End file.
